Vacuum cleaner



Feb. 17, 1931. A. c. GILBERT VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1927 Feb. 17, 1931. c, GlLBERT 1,792,975

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug. 5, 19 27 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 glwuentoz Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED ST TE PATENT OFFICE ALFRED C. GILBERT, F HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF MARYLAND VACUUM CLEANER Application filed August 5, 1927. Serial No. 210,807.

My invention relates to a 'vacuumcleaner, and more particularly to a portable vacuum cleaner in which a motor driven air pump is provided connected to a nozzle which may be 6 applied to the surface of an article to be cleaned, the pump sucking air through the article, or over the surface thereof, to entrain any dirt or foreign matter adhering thereto.

Portable vacuum cleaners as heretofore known have generally been of two types, one in which a motor driven pump is provided having a flexible tube connected to the pump inlet, the opposite end of the. tube being adapted to receive various types of cleaning attachments, and the second in which a motor driven pump is provided having the cleaning nozzle directly attached to the pump inlet. The latter type is principally used for cleaning floors, carpets and rugs, but in order that it may be suitable for other purposes it is generally arranged to have a flexible tube connected to the pump inlet, the opposite end of the tube being adapted to receive cleaning attachments in a similar manner to the first type. Both types are somewhat unwieldly, the tubes allowing only a limited amount of flexibility. In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable vacuum cleaner having a greater amount of flexibility and adaptability than those previously known.

In a more specific aspect, it is an object of my invention to provide a relatively light vacuum cleaner of small dimensions, which 5 may be entirely supported in the hand, and having a nozzle provided thereon, which may be directly applied to the surface being cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle in which a novel arrangement of a brush is provided adapted to loosen any dirt adhering to the surface being cleaned.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner of the above type in which a combined handle and pump outlet is provided adapted to conduct the dirt discharged by the pump into a dust bag which is carried, on the handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for supporting the dust bag on the cleaner.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum igleaner made in accordance with my invenion;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 33 of Fig. 2; a

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the nozzlealong line 6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the reference numeral 7 indicates, in general, a vacuum cleaner according to my invention, comprising a hollow fan casing 8 open at its upper end and having mounted thereon and closing the opening a cover 9, cover 9 being secured on casing 8, by means of screws 10, passing through the cover and into the casing 8. An electric motor 11, which may be of any well-known or preferred type is supported on cover 9, by means of an annular shoulder 12 provided on motor 11, extending into and received in an opening 13, in cover 9, screws 14, passing through cover 9, and being received in motor 11, the heads of the screws 14 being carried in depressions 15 of the cover 9.

Motor 11 is provided with a shaft 16 extending into the fan casing 8, and mounted on shaft 16 is a rotary fan 17 of the centrifugal type,-provided with curved blades 18 extending rom a point near the center of the fan to the periphery thereof. Fan casing 8 is provided with an inlet 19, extending forwardly and downwardly from a central point in the bottom thereof and terminating in a nozzle 20, theexterior face 21 of which tapers slightly upward. Nozzle 20, which is rectangular in cross-section, is provided in two of the opposite faces of its interior wall with means of screw 25, which passes through the wall of the nozzle 20, and is received within the body of the brush 23.

Integrally formed on the rear of the casing 8 and displaced slightly to one side of a center line passing through nozzle 20 and fan casing 8 is a hollow handle 26, which extends outwardly from thewalls of the casing 8 at right angles to the shaft 16, and on the outer end of handle 26 is a sleeve 27, the handle 26 being provided with a tapered portion 28, upon which the sleeve 27 is adapted to be tightly received. The sleeve 27 is provided in its opposite end from the handle 26 with a groove 29, which may be rolled or otherwise perfected therein, and carried on sleeve 27 is a dust bag 30, having a downwardly extending pocket 31. Dust bag 30 is secured to sleeve 27' by means of a band 32, which is carried in groove 29 and binds bag 30 tightly therein. The opening 33 in the hollow handle 26 is arranged eccentrically to the outer surface of the handle, leaving the wall of the handle at the upper portion thereof somewhat thicker than the lower portion, and secured in the handle 26 in the upper thickened portion, in any suitable manner, is

. a rod 34, having mounted thereon a spring 35,

extending into and supporting the bag 30, the spring 35 being provided on its outer end with 'a'loop 36 on which the bag 30 rests.

The motor 11 may be driven from any suitable source of power, wires 37 being provided for this purpose.

In operation, power is supplied to motor 11, through-wires 37, and the rotation of the shaft 16 is produced in well-known manner. Fan 17 being secured on shaft 16 is driven thereby, and the blades 18 of fan 17 displace air outwardly against the walls of chamber 8, thereupon reducing the pressure in the central portion of the fan casing, whereupon air passes upwardly through the nozzle 20, around brush 23, to the interior of the fan casing 8.

The vacuum cleaner may be supported by grasping the handle 26 and the nozzle 20 up lied to the surface to be cleaned. Upon r11 bing the nozzle back and forth on the surface, the bristles 24 of the brush 23 loosen any dirt adhering to the surface which will be entrained by the air passing through the nozzle and discharged by the fan through the hollow handle 26 into the bag 30, where it will collect in the pocket 31. The bag 30 as is usual in vacuum cleaners, is made of material permitting the passage of air there'- through, ut not the passage of dust or other matter accumulating therein. The spring 35, supported on the rod 34, holds the bag in an extended position, so that the air discharged by the pump and the dirt carried thereby may readily pass into the bag. Brush 23 may be adjusted in the slots 22 in order to cause the protrusion of the bristles 24 any desired amount, the screw 25 securing the brush in its adjusted position.

It will be readily understood that when the cleaner is in use, the pocket 31 of the bag 30 will hang down from the rest of the bag so that dust or, other dirt accumulating therein will not tend to pass back into the pump through the handle 26. The band 32 for securing the dust bag 30 on sleeve 27 is preferably in the form of a cord, which secures the bag tightly to the sleeve 27. When it is desired to remove the bag from the handle, it is simply necessary to pull the sleeve ofi' the handle, whereupon any dirt which has accumulated in the bag may be shaken out through the opening in the sleeve.

It will be readily seen from the above description that the vacuum cleaner of the present application may be readily supported by the hand of the operator, and has considerable flexibility being adapted to be carried, if desired, into remote places, such as into the interior of an automobile.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that it is not to be limited to the exact details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pum and an inlet and an outlet insaid casing or said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow handle connected to said casin over the outlet, a dust bag on the end 0 said handle, and means on said handle concealed within said dust bag adapted to support said bag.

2. In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow handle connected to said casing over the outlet, a dust bag on the end of said handle, and flexible means carried within said dust bag and supported from said handle adapted to support said dust bag.

3. In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow handle connected to said casing over the outlet, a dust bag on the end of said handle, and means carried by the handle adapted to support said dust bag in alignment with the handle.

4:. In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and .an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow handle connected to said casing over the outlet, a dust bag on the end of said handle, and flexible means carried by said handle and extending outwardly therefrom, said means engaging said dust bag to support the same.

5. In a Vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow handle connected to said casing over the outlet, a dust bag on the end of said handle, and means carried on the end of said handle and extending into said dust bag adapted to support the latter, said means being in alignment with said handle.

6. In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a dust bag adapted to receive dirt discharged from said pump through said out- 7 let, and means for supporting said dust bag on said pump casing, said means including a spring supported on said pump casing and extending into said dust bag.

7 In a vacuum cleaner provided with an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to a surface to be cleaned, a dust bag, adapted to receive dirt discharged from said pump through said outlet, and means for supporting said dust bag on said pump casing, said means including a rod supported on said pump casing, and a spring on said rod, said spring extending into said dust bag and supporting the latter.

8. In a vacuum cleaner provided With an air pump, a casing for said pump, means for driving said air pump, and an inlet and an outlet in said casing for said pump, said inlet being adapted to be applied to. a surface to be cleaned, a dust bag adapted to receive dirt discharged from said pump through said outlet, and means for supporting said dust bag on said pump casing, said means including a rod supported on said pump casing, a spring on said rod, said spring extending into said dust bag and a loop on the end of said spring on which said dust bag is adapted to rest.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of August, 1927.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

